河井前法相夫妻に逮捕状　買収容疑、午後取り調べ―参院選で現金・検察当局

　自民党を離党した河井案里参院議員（４６）＝広島選挙区＝が初当選した昨夏参院選をめぐり、地元政界に現金が配られた疑惑で、検察当局は１８日、公選法違反（買収）容疑で案里議員と夫の衆院議員河井克行前法相（５７）＝広島３区、自民離党＝の逮捕状請求手続きに入ったもようだ。同日午後に取り調べ、容疑が固まり次第逮捕する。ウグイス嬢と呼ばれる車上運動員に対する違法報酬に端を発した一連の疑惑の捜査は、新たな局面に入る。
　関係者によると、配られた現金は２０００万円を超え、多くは前法相が配布。一部は案里議員自身が配っていた。
　検察当局は、前法相の関係先から、配布先をまとめた「買収リスト」を押収。リストの記載内容や、事情聴取に現金受領を認めた地元議員側の供述を精査した結果、２０１９年７月投開票の参院選で案里議員への票の取りまとめを依頼した買収での立件が可能と判断したもようだ。（2020/06/18-12:56）

Public prosecutors have asked former Japanese Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his wife, Anri, to appear on Thursday for questioning over their alleged vote-buying regarding the latter's campaign in the July 2019 House of Councillors election.
   The prosecutors will investigate the couple over their suspected violation of the public offices election law and are expected to arrest them as soon as their charges become clear, informed sources said.
   The couple allegedly distributed over 20 million yen in cash to local politicians in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, before the Upper House election, in which Anri won a parliamentary seat for the first time. She ran in the election from the Hiroshima prefectural constituency.
   Most of the money was distributed by Katsuyuki, a member of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, while some of the cash was handed out by Anri herself, according to people familiar with the situation. They left the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday.
   The prosecutors have seized from a location related to Katsuyuki what is believed to be a list of people who received cash from the couple.